Psychology (Graduate Program)

Program Overview

The department offers training in the following specialty areas: Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and School Psychology. The program is a doctoral program—it is not appropriate for students seeking to complete their education with a master’s degree. We do not offer degrees in Counseling Psychology or Social Work. Appropriate departments for these programs at LSU are the School of Education and the School of Social Work respectively. If you need help determining the appropriate field of study to pursue, the American Psychological Association (APA) provides useful information.

The Department of Psychology at LSU is committed to the view that psychology is both a science and a profession. Both faculty and students in psychology endorse the model of the psychologist as a scientist-practitioner. The program’s major emphasis is on research training and experience, and the teaching of psychology. All graduate students, regardless of intended area of specialization, receive broad training to develop research capability for scholarly contributions to the discipline of psychology throughout their careers. If you are interested only in the professional application of psychology, without regard for research, you will not be comfortable in the graduate training program in this department. Graduate students in this department are expected to develop a lifelong commitment to science and to the highest social-ethical ideals of the profession of psychology.

The graduate program in psychology follows the mentor model. For this reason, it is recommended that prospective students review our faculty web pages along with this document (http://lsu.edu/hss/psychology/faculty/index.php). Each faculty member has additional information regarding his/her interests and publications listed there. This is an effective way to determine if your goals and interests match those of our faculty and our program, as well as to find examples of the research conducted here at LSU.

Administration

Jason Hicks, Chair

Emily M. Elliot, Graduate Studies Director

TELEPHONE

225-578-8745

FAX

225-578-4125

WEBSITE

http://lsu.edu/hss/psychology/grad/index.php

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Student Services, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.

Applications for admission are received in early December and evaluated by the department within the following two months. Applicants must adhere to the application deadlines established by the Graduate School and the Department of Psychology.

Students seeking admission must submit satisfactory credentials from previous study, acceptable verbal and quantitative GRE scores, and three letters of recommendation. Minimum undergraduate course experience should include an introductory psychology course, a basic statistics course (preferably from a behavioral/social science program), and a research methodology course (preferably from a behavioral/social science program). International students whose native language is not English must also submit an acceptable TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available to some students. The department makes every effort to obtain financial support for graduate students to the extent that funds are available. Sources of funds include departmental teaching and research assistantships (approximately $14,000 per academic year). The department also arranges support from outside agencies, such as mental health centers and community or industry research programs. To ensure consideration for financial aid, all application materials should be submitted in accordance with the psychology department’s December 1 deadline, and in accordance with those established by the LSU Graduate School.

Facilities

Audubon Hall contains numerous rooms and lab facilities.

The department’s Psychological Services Center (PSC), an on-campus facility located in Johnston Hall, is operated by the department to offer graduate training and research in adult clinical, medical clinical, child clinical, and school psychology. The PSC Adult Clinic and Child Clinic provide diagnostic and therapeutic services for adults and children in the Baton Rouge community, excluding students enrolled at LSU. Children of LSU students are seen, however, and LSU Student Health Center referrals are taken there.

Other sources of clinical populations are local clinics and schools, the Emerge Center and the Center for Autism and Related Disorders. Clinical doctoral students work with autistic, intellectually disabled, and visually impaired children, as well as preschoolers described as non-categorical (children who have some handicap, but are too young for well-delineated symptoms) for both practicum and research purposes.

Additional research is conducted at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Degree Programs

LSU’s doctoral program in psychology only admits students interested in working toward a doctoral degree. The MA may be earned along the way, as explained below, but is not a terminal master’s degree program. Students desiring only a master’s degree should not apply. Training is offered in the following specialty areas: biological, clinical, cognitive and brain sciences, industrial/organizational, and school psychology.